With media being what it is today that allows us to skip commercials; DVR, Netflix, it got me to thinking: I kind of need those commercials.
Commercials tell me when I can get up and go pee.
They tell me when to go in the kitchen and check up on whatever I have cooking in there.
A quick play session with the dogs.
When my kids were younger, a quick (horse)play session with them.
When I can get up and grab another beer.
Yes, I know there is a pause function on my remote but still.
I see your point, but all you’re really doing is conceding that you’re in complete thrall to the advertising industry and the consumerism spiral. They dictate when you’re allowed to go do all those things, and ensure your butt is back in front of the hypnobox right on time.
I kind of see your point. Teleplays (at least those written for commericial TV) are designed with little intermissions built in between the acts. To watch a show without these breaks goes against what its creators intended.
On the other hand, those creators didn’t have much choice; and the interruptions can break up the momentum of the comedy or the drama. Plus, if you watch much TV, you see the same commercials over and over and over, which can get really annoying.
I’ll do without the commercials, thank you very much.
Hit pause!
That might be true if Shakes was enthralled by the commercials, but he’s not; he’s using that time to look or go away during the commercial breaks. Meaning not only is he not following those commercials the way the advertisers would like, but he’s not necessarily “back in front of the hypnobox right on time” - that’s what the “Rewind” button is for.
And I know what you mean, Shakes - it’s the primary reason I don’t always fast-forward commercials on the TiVo when I’m time-shifting; I’ll take a bathroom break, or check e-mail, or check the SDMB, etc. Still not watching the commercials, but sometimes I let them play. And of course there’s the pause button for “emergencies”. 
If I’m watching something suspenseful, or mood inspiring, I put it on record and watch it a little while after it has started .
This way the mood is broken during the ad breaks as I fast forward them, and I can have a pee, make a cuppa whenever I like by leaving the programme on hold.
I once raved about a movie to a mate about how uneasy and tense it made you feel, and he watched it on tv and it left him unmoved because the suspension of disbelief ended every time there was an ad break.
So while they have their uses ads are not for me.
I don’t have DVR, but when watching longer programs on PBS I do sometimes wish they’d take an intermission so I could go to the bathroom without missing anything.
I think you’re grossly underestimating the effect of the commercials, whether the viewer is drooling all over the screen at them or not. They control the flow of the program and (these days) are elaborately constructed and timed to get their messages across despite zipping, flipping and muting.
You’re also assuming that everyone is using a time shifter, which is not true. If you’re watching a program realtime, you are managed by the commercials even if you mute them and do something else.
This is one of the brilliant things they built into World of Warcraft–not advertisements, but the occasional (once every half hour or so) need to spend a few minutes flying to the next town, during which you’d say “Oh, hey, I think I can get away from the keyboard for a few minutes, here…” This has the added side effect of allowing people to play longer in any given session… if you’re consistently eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom, some people will play all night long…
I dread the day when producers realize that virtually nobody is still watching the commercials, but skipping ahead or fast-forwarding them. When that day comes, they’ll start putting the ads on screen above and/or below the action, so it’s always there. Sort of like product placement, only not really placed into the story, just jammed there in the margin. Just like on an ad-supported website.
I do have to admit I feel an evil sort of happiness when I watch something on Hulu, and whenever they play ads and ask “Is this advertisement helpful to you?” I always vote NO.
You’re being funny, right? Or you haven’t watched, say, SyFy endlessly advertise not only its other shows but the very one you’re watching with a parade of endless jittering, jumping, wiggling popups?
I don’t know of anyone who’s crossed the line to advertising, say, Dyson vacuums during a program, but it seems as if it must have already happened.